The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets the southern Pacific Ocean.

[1][2] It is the closest seaside town to Canberra, making Batemans Bay a popular holiday destination for residents of Australia's national capital.

[4] Batemans Bay is also a popular retiree haven, but has begun to attract young families seeking affordable housing and a relaxed seaside lifestyle.

The traditional custodians of the land surrounding Batemans Bay are the Walbunja people of the Yuin nation.

[6] A number of sites in the region are considered culturally significant to the Walbunja people, such as Bhundoo and Hanging Rock.

[12] In 1821, Lt Robert Johnston entered the bay and explored the lower reaches of the Clyde River on board the cutter Snapper.

In 1942, during World War II, a trawler was attacked by a Japanese submarine between Batemans Bay and Moruya.

[23] The bushfire gradually increased in intensity and severity, peaking on New Year's Eve and rapidly moving towards the town.

The bushfire resulted in thousands of locals sheltering at beaches around the town, a large number of buildings lost, and lingering economic damage.

With the difficulties of the highway closures cutting the town off from outside links on the ground, Moruya Airport proved to be a vital resource in the protection of the local region from the devastating bushfires.

[1] This skewed demographic is attributed to Batemans Bay's proximity to Canberra, from where it attracts a large number of retirees.

[25] In recent years, community concern has grown as hotels and resorts in the region have been purchased and converted to aged care and retirement living, creating a perceived threat to the town's primary industry – tourism.

[27] In 2015, research from Nielsen revealed older people were less likely to support rates funding towards youth focussed infrastructure.

Supported by the Shire Council and run by a board of volunteers, it includes all forms of visual art as well as performances, music, and creative workshops.

Presented by The Batemans Bay Tourism and Business Chamber, the festival is open to professional, emerging and novice artists worldwide with 2018 prize money to the value of $70,000.

[31] On 26 July 2020, the owners of South Tribe and Cultivate Space announced the closure of the centre on their Facebook page, citing difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.

[37] Batemans Bay sits as the northern gateway to the pristine Eurobodalla Shire - the entire region gaining national recognition for its terroir and as a centre for sustainable agriculture.

Batemans Bay and the Eurobodalla region receive five free-to-air television stations (television in Australia) including two government funded networks: The ABC, the SBS and three commercial networks: ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine (WIN) and Southern Cross 10 all offer digital high-definition simulcasts of their main channels.

Some local newspapers from other NSW South Coast towns such as Bega, Nowra, Ulladulla, Moruya, Merimbula and Narooma are also available.

The Batemans Bay Seahawks Australian rules football club (founded 1984) compete in AFL Canberra's Community Divisions.